(Featuring BamBam, V, Jae, Woosung, and Cha Eunwoo)
This time, I thought I would try something different on the blog. Instead of doing a deep dive into one group, I’m doing shallow dives into a bunch of soloists and their first mini albums, then comparing and contrasting. This time is male soloists, from BTS to Got7. For each, I watched an interview if I could find one, to get to know them better. So, let’s get into it!
BamBam of Got7, like Rosé from my last deep dive, is probably better known as an idol than a soloist, mostly for his humor and his appearance on various weekly idol shows. He debuted as a soloist in 2022.
Sour & Sweet goes for a smoother, more synth-heavy sound than Got7’s EDM-focused one, which I think suits his somewhat ethereal voice quite well. The lyrics, which I think he wrote, are about how everyone is multi-faceted and has different parts of them, which is always an interesting subject for a song. It’s light and airy in a catchy way, flitting between English and Korean, and is a bit too light in parts for me; I always wish that songs would have meatier choruses instead of going for the BLACKPINK idea of hooky ones.
From the EP, Sour & Sweet, I enjoyed the string background of Feather, the catchy lightness of Ghost, and the vocal showcase in Wings. Bam Bam gets an 8.25 from me. It’s a good release but it doesn’t feel very out of the box.
Artist #2: Taehyung (V) of BTS
V of BTS is definitely the most well known of the soloists on this list, seeing as he comes from the most popular k-pop group of all time. All of the members have some solo endeavors under their belts but I chose V’s because I wanted someone with a comparable EP to the others and I think he has my favorite voice out of the seven.
Slow Dancing, as befits the name, is ethereal and distorted in a surprisingly smooth way. It doesn’t have many peaks and valleys, and though its lyrics are solid, it’s not a very engaging track in and of itself when compared with the other solos on this list. I’ve always liked V’s voice, as mentioned above, and I liked it here too, but similarly to Kai and Minho’s main tracks, I felt like it deserved a stronger song to fully express itself. My favorite part of the video was the dog. I’m powerless against a Pomeranian; just look at him! He’s a ball of fluff! This is way off topic, but I kind of wish V had pulled a JiU and just written a love song for Yeontan like she did for her own Pomeranian, Cherry.
From the EP, Layover, I enjoyed the soft piano and texting sound effects in Rainy Days and the beautiful vocals in For Us. Kind of like with Minho’s album, while I appreciate the artistry, this EP isn’t for me. V gets an 8 from me.
Artist #3: eaJ (Jae of Day6)
Jae of Day6 is in a unique position, as far as k-pop soloists go. He’s currently left the group, although seems to have indicated that he’d like to return at some point. His solo career is under the name “eaJ” instead, and is all in English, but I wanted to include him anyway.
Car Crash has the kind of laid-back energy mixed with a propulsive beat that’s perfect for a road trip, as befits the name I suppose. The twangy guitar mixed with the more minimalistic electronic sound makes an irresistible combination, at least in my book. I’m a little biased, since English is my native language, and its simple lyrics make it easier to follow along, but this one would be such a fun track to scream-sing at karaoke. It’s simple, but catchy, and effective. Also, in terms of the music video, I love some sapphic representation, and even more so when they’re running away from men together.
From the EP, somewhat worryingly titled Laughing In Insomnia, I enjoyed the minimal instrumentation in falsetto Typical Story, the heartbreaking lyrics of Sober Go Away, the gentle acoustic guitar in Castle In The Sky, and the comforting anger and frankly incredible vocals of Traveler (which was my hidden gem). Jae / eaJ gets a 9.25 from me. Yeah, I’m biased, but this is my blog, so, oh well.
Artist #4: Woosung of The Rose
Woosung of The Rose is probably the soloist that I know best from this list, having seen The Rose live in concert. He’s American, and so released this EP in English when the rest of his band were completing mandatory military service.
Phase Me is a song I’ve heard bits and pieces of before, but never the full thing. From the start, it’s very distinctive from The Rose’s work, and not only because he’s not wearing a shirt for God knows what reason, but because it leans into a creepier, unsettling sound that they usually don’t.The pre-chorus’ build up is my favorite part, though I’m not so much a fan of the anti-drop whistling. I think it would’ve worked better as a post-chorus , rounding out a fuller hook to really drive it home, but I did like this one overall. His voice has a unique quality to it that’s uncommon in k-pop, and it’s nice to hear something a bit different.
From the EP, Moth, I enjoyed his lovely voice in spacey, dramatic Come Down, and the angsty, painfully vulnerable Modern Life. I only wish it was longer! Woosung gets an 8.5 from me.
Artist #5: Cha Eunwoo of ASTRO
Cha Eunwoo of ASTRO is the final addition to this list, and was a bit last minute. I just did a deep dive of their discography, and wanted to give them a spot on this list, because that double parter wasn’t really focused on their vocals.
I’ve never heard Stay before, nor have I seen any regular music videos from ASTRO made in the past year, for obvious reasons. The song itself isn’t dissimilar to Chase by Minho, but surprisingly, I prefer this one. I love the flourishes of strings and the acoustic guitar that grounds it while driving it forward. And also, with the context of the loss that ASTRO has gone through, it tugged at my heartstrings a bit. I also really like this music video, and how expansive it feels; it’s beautifully shot, in terms of the reds, yellows, and teals against black.
From the EP, Entity, I enjoyed the coffee-shop piano of U & I and the percussive guitar of Fucking Great Time. Cha Eunwoo gets an 8.25 from me: pretty solid, though I wish it was a bit more adventurous.
Verdict: TL;DR
My top EP was EaJ’s Laughing In Insomnia, with Woosung’s Moth as a runner-up. Both of them are in English, funnily enough; I’m not sure how much that has to do with it, but maybe I’m more biased than I think.
Next time, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming. Tschüss!
Let me know your thoughts!